From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Report comparing the safety of Stanwell, Goodyear, and Firestone wheel rims during high-speed tests with a deflated tyre.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 159\1\ scan0029 | |
| Date | 19th May 1920 | |
| R.R. 199 (250T) (SD676 19-7-17) MP 180865 Contd. -2- Hsl/LG19.5.20. running the car at high speeds with a deflated tyre. We find that the best of the three rims as regards safety is the Stanwell. We have run a car at 60 M.P.H. with a deflated tyre and have swerved from side to side but the tyre and the rim still held on. The Goodyear comes the next. We have run [handwritten] the rim did not come adrift nor did the tyre come off [/handwritten] with a deflated tyre with a Goodyear rim at 60 M.P.H., but after 40 to 45 M.P.H. was reached, the detachable ring of the Goodyear started flapping and one could see by watching the joint of this ring that it was o[handwritten]g[/handwritten]pening out by centrifugal force at the ends. We consider that the Goodyear is a reasonably safe rim. We The Firestone rim is by far the worst of the three. When we had only reached 25 to 30 M.P.H. with a deflat- ed{J. L. Edwards} tyre, the solid ring and the split ring both came completely off the wheel, ran along the rod, and disappeared over the hedge. We do not think the Firestone rims as we have received them from American are fit to put on to Rolls-Royce Cars. The fact that the loose pieces on the rim will come off if the car is run at a low speed with a deflated tyre, makes it dangerous, [handwritten]not[/handwritten] only only to the occupants of the car, but to other users of the road. The reason the Firestone rim is bad [handwritten]is[/handwritten] the fact that the spring ring which forms the lock is very light and the centrifugal force opens it out so that it can fall off. X.435. On the Pack- ard Car which is fitted with beaded tyres and Firestons rims, we have had trouble with the rims coming adrift when the tyre is punctured. We have had a Firestone Rim Co. representative at the works who said that a "Spreader" should be fitted to the Contd. | ||